April 12, 2004
Delores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-1753)
Victoria Steiner
Ames Research Center, Calif.
(Phone: 650/604-0176)
RELEASE: 04-118
NASA ENABLES SCIENTISTS TO WORK TOGETHER WHILE MILES APART
For the first time, researchers thousands of miles away can study
laboratory specimens by remotely operating NASA's new "super
magnifying glass."
The Remote Scanning Electron Microscopy (RSEM) technology was
developed at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffet Field, Calif. It
has been successfully tested to allow scientist to help NASA solve
problems encountered by astronauts during long-duration space
flights.
"The technology will enable multiple researchers at locations across
the country to observe and control the scanning electron microscope
(SEM), thus allowing for remote, real-time simultaneous analysis of
tissue by several investigators, "said Dr. Richard Boyle, director of
BioVIS Technology Center.
In contrast to conventional microscopes that use light waves, the SEM
uses electrons to magnify details of tissue from 10 to 100,000 times.
This super-dissecting microscope illuminates the sample with a great
depth of field and produces three-dimensional, high-resolution
images. All scientists need to use the SEM is a suitable Web browser
and network access to connect to the instrument. A remote-control
system on the microscope enables real-time interface with the tissue
researchers are studying.
"We are very excited about our work with NASA scientists," said
molecular biologist Dr. Doris K. Wu. She is acting chief of the
Section on Sensory Cell Regeneration and Development in the
Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the National Institute of Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders, Bethesda, Md. "By providing remote
access to a unique tool like SEM that is too expensive for many
settings, NASA is enabling medical researchers to work with a wide
variety of specimens without unnecessary travel costs," Wu Said.
"Our first collaborative project with Dr. Wu focuses on unraveling key
developmental processes of structures of the inner ear involved in
hearing," Boyle said.
"The inner ear cells change when you are in space and this impacts
astronauts' health," said NASA astronaut and physician Dr. Yvonne
Cagle. "If we understand how these hair cell reposition themselves,
we can better understand what happens over a long period of time in
space," she said.
Numerous sensory receptors in the inner ear help humans detect sound
and motion. The sensors also enable humans to hear airborne sounds,
feel themselves moving and sense the presence of gravity. As the
population ages hearing and vestibular disorders rise, as evidenced
by the dramatic increase in falling and hearing loss in the elderly.
Humans exposed to the altered gravity conditions, such as those
experienced by astronauts, often acquired many symptoms similar to
those of vestibular patients.
"The remote aspects of this telescience capability is very essential
to doctors, scientists and especially to astronauts," Cagle said.
"Our training schedule is very constrained and time is very limited,
so we have to use it most efficiently. So it's really exciting to be
able to actually interact with what is going on without physically
being there," she said.
With RSEM, the microscope also becomes an engaging educational tool.
Students can send their research samples, such as insects or plants,
to NASA and work on their science projects using the SEM. Using a
personal computer with Internet capability, they can log onto the SEM
with a video projection system that allows demonstration and hands-on
microscope operation.
"Remote SEM allowed students direct participation in the scientific
process to an extent that previous projects could not, particularly
because of the limited availability of scientific materials in the
school," said Anand Kulkarni. Kulkarni is outreach coordinator for
the Space Science Outreach and Research Program, a non-profit
organization in Berkeley, Calif., that brings science courses into
inner-city high schools. "The flexibility to conduct research of
their own choosing engaged students better than the previous projects
did," Kulkarni said. "This time, for example, they were studying hair
damage caused by peroxide bleaching."
For information about the Remote Scanning Electron Microscopy project
on the Internet, visit:
http://biovis.arc.nasa.gov
-end-